Legacy War
The Legacy War was a conflict spanning nearly the entirety of the continent of Maraldia. It arose from a more intimate struggle between the forces of Primogeniture and the Order of the Daffodil, who supported the Primordials and the Gods respectively. This struggle was fought over the discovery of the Legacy Weapon, an artifact that when completely assembled was thought to have the power to destroy the Gods. Though the Order of the Daffodil looked to be emerging victorious from the conflict, a betrayal by one of their allies led to the death of their leader and the escape of Silas, Primogeniture's leader. Silas convinced the Emperor of Thanatos, Claudion Eledyr, to press hegemonic claims against the faraway Kingdom of Ruil, and their combined forces struck at the heart of the River Kingdoms. Concurrently, the few remaining dragons in Maraldia Alt-Art Selivan.jpg|Selivan Tarquin, perhaps the most trusted diplomat of the era; his death in 452 sparked the beginning of the conflict Silas Magenta 2.jpg|Silas, leader of the Primogeniture cult, and murderer of Selivan Narael Blue-0.jpg|Narael Tarquin, the enigmatic manipulator behind the War Claudion Eledyr.jpg|Claudion Eledyr, Emperor of Thanatos and wielder of the Black Lotus Katris.jpg|Katris Eledyr, named Imperator of Thanatos in 452 Big Dragon.jpg|Ragasodon, the most powerful dragon ever to have lived Cedric Post-Scarring.jpg|Cedric, Canto of the Ezra, and widely considered the greatest warrior in the world Christine 2.jpg|Christine Tarquin, a former Thanosian that desperately tries to fill Selivan's void aligned themselves with the Thanosians and Primogeniture, Elder Dragon Jeqon wanting vengeance against the Rulians for the previous genocide against the dragons. Claudion was able to take control of the draconic experiment, Ragasodon, and used him to intimidate any possible enemies and destroy any resistance against him. Poenid, Jeqon's former acolyte, and Fewa-Ir, a recently revived Dracolich, joined Jeqon in the conquest. The war is perhaps most infamous for its absolutely sprawling nature, with nations nearly every region on the continent involving themselves in some fashion. Background and Lead-up Dawn War Draconic Purges Great Riverlands War Empire of Thanatos Discord in Ruil Legacy Conflict Claudion's Rivalry with Christine Tarquin Events of the War Diveterra Naval Campaigns (452-456) (West, South, and East) Kadrese Campaign (453-454) Aqua-Terrestrial Elder Invasion (453-455) * Skirmish of Roolsted (453) * Battle of Honlindane (453) * Battle of Havorem Bay (453) * Skirmish of St. Olon's Cathedral (453) * Belkin's Crusade (454) * Battle of Boan Rock (455) * Battle of M'Baodfiqwerq (455) Asdan Campaign (454) * Land * And * Sea Riverlands and Aurland War for the Wolf's Den (452-453) * Battle of Ely (452) ** Minor engagement; Colin of Carlisle is sent to gather support of North Cheselwyn for Richard Valor, supporters of Hugh Jackwidth under Steven Wheelin move into to stop them and seize the castle of XXX, fierce battle follows, under Colin's leadership, Cheselwynders defeat the invaders and declare for Richard. Red Victory. * Battle of Fellkirk (452) ** Major engagement; Main force of Richard, houses Rosmund, Hammond, and Cruncher, meets main force of Hugh, houses Gravy and Moros, under Doran Moros; Moros knows that additional army under Hernaeus Bork is coming to reinforce him and decides to engage Richard's force, force never arrives and Doran is forced to retreat after heavy fighting. Red Victory. * Battle of Butter's Pond (452) ** Minor engagement; Small party of outriders under Larry detect reinforcing group under Hernaeus Bork, he chooses to perform a delaying action rather than rejoin Richard's main force, fierceness of defense gives Bork pause and he retreats. Red Victory. * Battle of Lichpin (453) ** Major engagement; Some of Moros's force picked up by Bork, Moros is removed from command and order given by Jackwidth to concentrate all forces near Buller's Castle for a march to Aurum, Valor strikes out while they are marching but Bork is able to beat back attack and continue march to Buller's Castle in good order. Blue Victory. * Battle of Hoppin Mine (453) ** Minor engagement; Jackwidth troops cut off from march to Buller's castle and holed up at Hoppin Mine, Valor attacks them but the manage to beat him back, eventually find other exit to mine and join Jackwidth main host at Buller's Castle. Blue Victory. * Siege of Buller's Castle (453) ** Major engagement; Supporters of Valor from North and South coalesce at Buller's Castle, where Jackwidth's supporters have gathered, forces meet in battle as Jackwidth wishes to avoid siege, Larry performs feigned retreat and Colin performs ferocious counterattack with reserve, Jackwidth forces are broken and Jackwidth himself flees to avoid capture, most of the remaining troops swear fealty to Valor. Red Victory. * Battle of Crift Abbey (453) ** Minor engagement; Jackwidth betrayed and his location is revealed, Colin goes with force to demand his surrender, Jackwidth refuses, Abbey is stormed and he is captured, Richard Valor is crowned King of Ruil. Red Victory. Invasion of Brun (452) * Burning of Teraholm (452) ** Not a battle; * Reclaiming of Teraholm (454) ** Not a battle; Dwarvish Enlistment Northern Expedition (452-453) * Battle of White (453) ** Minor engagement; Exhausted remnants of Thanosian northern march finally meet up with Durian Schism (453-457) * This (453) * Is (453) * Battle of Tetovy (454) * Battle of Molonov (454) * Siege of (454) * So (455) * There (455) * Are (455) * Going (456) * To (456) * Be (456) * A (456) * Lot (457) * Of (457) * Battles (457) Rape of the Free Riverfolk (453) Formation of the UFR (453) Brelsh Campaign (453-454) ** Lamenting the stubbornness of his uncle, Lord Protector Nors "Kale" Locke of Brell, a veteran of the Great Riverlands War, realized his under-prepared forces would have to contend with two powerful armies. He was only able to gather forces from the west and center of Brell, some 35,000 men. Waiting for additional forces from the eastern provinces and his Elven allies, Nors wanted to wait on engaging the enemy forces for as long as possible in order to face them with his full strength; but, when faced with the possibility of letting them rampage through his kingdom unmolested, he was unable to retain his stoicism. He divided the army, sending 5,000 men to defend Miller's Crossing, the river pass into Brell from Rangos, and 30,000 to meet the main Thanosian force near the town of Harmon. Nors at this point was just hoping to buy as much time as possible for Brell to muster and train more troops, as he knew the Kingdom had a larger population than any other nation in the Riverlands, and that if their national spirit was riled up, his people could be a considerable force to contend with. * Battle of Miller's Crossing (453) - ** Minor engagement; Luvlin's forces marched orderly. Blue Victory. * Battle of Harmon (453) ** Major engagement; Blue Victory. * Battle of West Loxley (453) ** Major engagement; Blue Victory. * Siege of Latford (453-454) - ** Major engagement; With the main Brelsh resistance having been swept away at West Loxley, the road to Ruil was left undefended. Katris immediately put 60,000 of her troops on the march south the following day, leaving behind five legions under the command of Exercitus Aulus Alsbain, along with the rest of the UFR and Tryrian forces, (equaling approx. 40,000) to mop up remaining Brelsh resistance and secure their surrender. News of the disaster at West Loxley arrived in Latford soon after, the nobility perhaps not shocked at the result, but panicked nonetheless. The broken and battered remnants of Nors's army slowly began to arrive, equaling only around 6,000 men, just a seventh of the number of troops he had with him at West Loxley. However, Nors was not one of the arrivals, having been blocked off from a return passage to Latford by the Thanosian movements and forced to take what shattered remnants of the army with him down to Ruil. Without Nors in the field to command the second Brelsh army, command fell to the elderly King Patrem himself, who was not at all prepared to engage in a pitched battle. Castles and towns surrendered willingly to the Thanosian advancement, as Alsbain slowly crept her way towards the Brelsh capitol. Merchants and bankers began to pull out of their investments in Brell, leaving the Kingdom minus its vital financial support. ** However, not all hope was lost. 8,000 levies from the eastern provinces arrived on the 11th of April under the command of Duke Galan ___ of XXX. Duchess Elizabeth Barroton of ___ held a series of dinners, meetings, and backdoor agreements, courting many panicked figures into staying to defend Brell. The territory of ___ under Duchess Jessica Mallistone refused to cooperate with Thanosian demands, many of the castles and towns under her control remaining stoically defiant in the face of impending Thanosian doom. These developments slowed Alsbain's march significantly, forcing her to devote more and more of her resources to besieging these places instead of Latford itself. More and more troops trickled into Latford, Dixon scraping the bottom of the barrel to put as many troops in the line as possible. By the time Alsbain's combined force arrived at Latford on the 24th, there were 21,000 troops facing her 26,000. ** With such a small margin by which she outnumbered the Brelsh forces, Alsbain realized she had far too few men to storm the city. She knew she had a better chance at winning a street-by-street engagement with her highly disciplined Thanosian troops, but the UFR and especially Tryrian forces were of dubious quality. She therefore resolved herself to engage in a protracted siege, digging encircling trenches and erecting engines of war, knowing that the Brelsh most likely did not have the resources to supply both an enlarged garrison and city population. Red Victory. * Jessica Mallistone's Delaying Campaign (453-454) ** With the Siege of Latford underway, Duchess Jessica Mallistone of ___ continued to be a major thorn in the side of the Blue troops. * Battle of Boarran Bridge (453) ** Minor engagement; With their sudden involvement in the conflict, the forces of the Woodland Realm were not nearly ready enough to join with their allies in conflict. By the time that Lord Protector Alenia Elazorwyn's army of only 3,000 set off, Brell had already lost terribly at Harmon and West Loxley and was pushed back to Latford. Seeking to take advantage of the lacking defense, an army of 6,000 Durian separatists stumbled its way down towards Brell. Elazorwyn, irritated that she had been unable to help her ally, heard news of the Durian movement, and planted her army firmly on the Fentan River at Boarran Bridge. Some local militia joined her, along with a few peasants from the nearby town of Boarran. The seperatists under Boyar ____ assumed they could sweep the outnumbered Elves from the field easily, though ____'s army smashed against her's several times throughout the day of ___, suffering heavy losses. What the defenders lacked in numbers they made up for in their discipline and skill with the bow. When ___ fell, the Durians morale shattered and they retreated in disarray, their organization completely disintegrating. After making sure the Durians would not return, Elazorwyn crossed the river again and planned her next move. Red Victory.Kin * Raid of the Lumbil Camps (453) ** Minor engagement; Elazorwyn knew she would be far behind the main Thanosian force invading Ruil, and she felt a twinge of guilt for being too late to participate in the major engagements against Thanatos, so she resolved to stay behind and assist against Alsbain instead. Assisted by loyal Brelsh citizens and partisans, Elazorwyn split her bolstered force into several small raiding parties that continued to harry Blue movements across __. Whatever supplies Elazorwyn was able to get her hands on were usually sent across the Fentan, where it was then smuggled back over the river to the hungry denizens of Latford. ** Perhaps the most vital of Elazorwyn's raids was the one against the Lumbil Camps, the main staging area for most of the Blue grain supplies. Over 200 wagons of grains and foodstuffs, 300 cattle, and two legionary standards were seized. The food situation for the besieging Thanosians got so bad that they resorted to dismantling their siege weapons and using the sawdust to make their bread. Due to the distinct lack of light troops or cavalry in any force, Alsbain was unable to pursue the Woodlanders. ** Concurrently, the pivotal Battle of Lon was fought down in Ruil, which led to the deaths of Silas and Emperor Claudion Eledyr and the ascension of Quyella Eledyr, who was less eager to continue her father's war. The attack on Bluegate by Amon also wiped out a large portion of the Thanosian senate, leaving just Katris and Quyella in command of the Empire of Thanatos as a whole. Quyella sent for Katris to return to Bluegate as quickly as possible and ordered an overall suspension of hostilities until they could get a governing body in motion. The main Blue force down in Ruil retreated back to Harmon in Brell, and the lessened hostilities allowed them to reinforce Alsbain's suffering troops. Reinvigorated, Alsbain refused to lift the siege of Latford, justifying to Katris by claiming that she was not actively assaulting Brelsh forces and thusly not violating the truce. Red Victory. * Battle of Hale (454) ** Major engagement; This situation continued til the beginning of 454, where an impromptu Thanosian senate voted to continue hostilities and not go for a peace treaty. They also chose to keep Katris in her position as Imperator, and she immediately decided to abandon their offensive campaigns and pull back all Thanosian troops to more defensible positions. She sent the armies at Harmon and the forces besieging ___ to retreat west to Tryr, and ordered Alsbain to back off from Latford. However, Alsbain was not about to submit. She had a (correct) assumption that the defenders at Latford were on their last legs, and couldn't hold the city much longer. Indeed, there were regularly food riots, which Benjamin Dixon brutally put down. Distasteful of such violent efforts, King Patrem attempted to go among the people to raise their spirits, but they often attacked him and he soon abandoned this. Alsbain informed Katris of the Brelsh's dire situation, but Katris was intent on following the orders given to her by her Empress and her Senate, and continued to pull her armies back to their camps near Tryr. ** Viewing this as betraying the ideals of Thanatos, Alsbain continued her siege, even as the allied armies of Ruil, Brell, Brun, and the Woodland Realm advanced from the south, finally able to move past the Thanosian roadblocks at Harmon. Elazorwyn was able to lift the siege of ___, and later joined up with the main allied host. Hallos Luvlin quietly and quickly marched his troops out before their army was encircled, and when scouts came in informing Alsbain of enemy movements, she finally decided to abandon the siege on ___ -- far too late to escape the encirclement that had already begun. Reinforced by the bloated garrison of Latford, this Red force under the vengeful Nors, 58,000 strong, slowly closed in around Alsbain. To her credit, she realized her grievous mistake, though she refused to surrender, believing it better to die as a soldier than let her nation down. Her army took its stand at the town of Hale, quickly digging trenches and making makeshift fortifications. However, it was far too late, and their numbers were too few to defend assaults from all side. Alsbain was convinced by an aide that it would be useless for her troops to die for no purpose so far from Thanatos, and she eventually surrendered her entire army. Red Victory. * Battle of Avexiom (454) ** Major engagement; With the retreat of Katris's army and the annihilation of Alsbain's, all that was left against the Reds was Luvlin's army, which had moved back to Miller's Crossing to prevent Red entry into the UFR. Nors, in overall command of the Red army, decided to deal with the UFR first as punishment for attacking Brell when it was at its most vulnerable. He sent a small Rulian and Brelsh force under Benjamin Dixon to seize Harmon and defend it against any possible Thanosian incursions, though he doubted Katris would attack again with Alsbain's army wiped out. With the rest of his 40,000 strong army, consisting of Brelsh, Brunian, and Woodlander troops, he marched quickly towards the border, his men sharing their leader's eagerness. ** Luvlin was faced with the same issue that the leadership of Rangos was faced nearly a hundred years before: face a ferocious army of vengeful dragonborn and Brelsh united under an extremely competent general. The denizens of the UFR, which had swiftly gone from confidently winning the war to suddenly faced with an invasion, began to secretly panic, though the overall mood . He considered disbanding his army and organizing a massive guerrilla campaign against the invaders, though he did not wish to destroy his newly formed country like that. Instead, he threw all of his dice into a massive gamble. He ordered his lieutenants to study the tactics of the legendary King Bard Gilead of Brun, and together they formulated a daring plan. He marched his entire force from their defensive positions at the Crossing, using the woodlands rather than the roads to mask their movement. After a brutal 18-hour march, the UFR army managed to get into an advantageous position along the Red march, who were completely unaware of the UFR movements. He allowed his men a few hours of rest before their ambush, which would take place that night. The late afternoon of the ___, Nors received a few reports from some of his elvish troops that the local wildlife was greatly agitated, and, suspicious, he ordered a halt to the march and further investigations. Luvlin, realizing that the enemy had stopped a bit too early, realized that the enemy was perhaps aware of their position, and immediately flung his exhausted troops in a massive assault against the Reds, who were completely surprised. ** Nors, suddenly and furiously coming to the realization that he had been tricked, immediately organized a staunch defense. The fatigued UFR troops were sloppy in their attack, and quickly began to lose momentum. A vicious counterattack began by Snowfire Gilead on the Red right flank, and the UFR began to fall back. Luvlin desperately rallied his troops and charged them furiously into the center of the Red line, where both Nors and Alenia Elazorwyn were directing their army close to the front. Nors and Alenia were both captured, and the resurgence of the UFR troops broke the morale of the Brelsh, who retreated in disarray, though Snowfire retreated in good order. Nors was reported to have wept bitterly at the sight of his army defeated, and Luvlin commanded his men to look away while the old commander grieved. ** The battle was not entirely disastrous for the Reds, as there was still Dixon's army at Harmon, and Snowfire, who was rallying the remnants of the army back at ___. The nobility of Brell, however, did not view this situation in such a positive light. Their nerves were already frayed after the long siege of Latford, and when calamitous reports arrived from Avexiom they stormed the King's keep and demanded that he surrender. Patrem assured them that his nephew had the situation under control, but when they informed him that Nors had fallen, the old King's confidence faltered. The nobles forced Patrem to abdicate, and in the interim period before his son took the throne, they entered into negotiations with the UFR. ** The UFR, rapidly understanding the immense luck of their situation, rushed through negotiations as quickly as possible. Some of the bolder Brelsh lords, such as Elizabeth Barroton and Jessica Mallistone, realized they were being fooled by a move of desperation, and urged their fellow lords to continue the fight; however, the rest of their number, many of whom were possibly being paid off by bankers and supporters of the UFR. Brell agreed to recognize the sovereignty of the UFR and cede the provinces of ___ and ___, and the UFR intervened on the behalf of Tryr to negotiate them out of the war as well. The Woodland Realm quickly followed the lead of Brell, surrendering as well. With that, the War in the River Kingdoms was at a close. Blue Victory. Rulian Campaign (453) * Talenia's Guerilla Campaign (453) ** Minor engagement; * Second Battle of the Burning Fields (453) ** Major engagement; Opkomenk, Sallovaulk, Pavleon, and the Timberlands Auguarine Theater (453-456) West * Battle of Catapan (453) ** Major engagement; Blue Victory. * Battle of Managon (453) ** Major engagement; Blue Victory. * Main (454) ** Minor engagement; Red Victory. * Battle of Fort Pontaissa (454) ** Major engagement; Blue Victory. * Battle of Etalpe (455) ** Major engagement; Red Victory. * Battle of Tespisas(455) ** Major engagement; Stalemate. * Battle of Palli (455) ** Major engagement; Red Victory. * Second Battle of Fort Pontaissa (456) ** Major engagement; Blue Victory. * Battle of Izel (456) ** Major engagement; Stalemate. Lake * Battle of Palstis Harbor (454) * Battle of Raspberry Swill (454) ** Major engagement; Blue Victory. * Burning of XXX Harbor (455) * Delaying Battle (456) * Seizing of the Straits of Decantalon (456) ** Major engagement; Red Victory. East * Battle of Saton Trade Outpost (453) * Battle of Phideng (454) * Battle of Cianda (454) Thanosian Internal Chaos * The Reckoning in Bluegate (453) Sevlin Campaign (454) * Many (454) * Taking of the Clay Sanctum (454) Kzelthov Campaign (454-455) * Battle on the Fields of Sky (454) * Siege of the Hild Nedjandar (455) Invasion of Phobos (455-456) * Just (455) * Three (456) * Battles (456) World War II